"Palacio’s novel gives us a perfect opportunity to discuss bullying, the importance of kindness, and the pressures that all kids (well, all of us) feel. It is chance to laugh, cry, and cheer together. " ~Lucy

On Saturday I read Wonder by R. J. Palacio. The whole book. On accident.  I picked up Wonder during my dinner break at the Colfax store and couldn’t leave behind Auggie and Via… or Jack… or Summer. I didn’t want to leave behind any of the amazing characters Palacio creates in her mid grades novel about a boy with a severe facial deformity who attends a school for the first time as a fifth grader.

So I didn’t leave them. I kept carrying the book around with me and sat it next to myself at the cash register. Basically I didn’t let the book out of my sight until 1 am, after I had gone home and, without meaning to, finished the book. I was crushed that it was over but was so absorbed by Palacio’s realistic writing and the emotional integrity of the story that I didn’t want to believe I had hit the acknowledgments.I didn’t want to believe I had hit the acknowledgments.

Wonder is a mid grades book, written for kids from 4th to 7th grade.  And it is a perfect book for that age, in which kids are transitioning. They begin to feel more self conscious as they simultaneously begin to feel the pull of peer pressure. Wonder deals with all of this in a beautiful, empathetic way. And, maybe most importantly of all, it does so in a very relatable way. I was so, so impressed by Palacio’s dialogue and her ability to capture the attitude and vocabulary of these kids.

I also strongly recommend Wonder as a book to read with a child. This is an incredible book that adults shouldn’t miss out on. But also, it is a great story to discuss. Palacio’s novel gives us a perfect opportunity to discuss bullying, the importance of kindness, and the pressures that all kids (well, all of us) feel. It is chance to laugh, cry, and cheer together.

~Lucy